The Non-Traditional Legal Career

A quick follow-up to my last post. At the end of last week, I had the privilege of seeing and renewing friendships with quite a few alumni. It was great fun. It was also illuminating. It turns out that many alumni are using their law degrees in non-traditional ways.

On Thursday I enjoyed seeing two former students who now serve as corporate vice presidents, one with a large charitable foundation and one with a large construction company. Both began their careers in traditional law practices. Neither expected a corporate vice presidency to be on their career path. But they are both happy and fulfilled. Both described for me how God led them in this way--and how God is using them in their corporate roles to impact the lives of others.

While encouraging, these stories shouldn't be surprising. It has been well-known for a long time that legal training is excellent preparation for many fields. Legal education excels at teaching effective communication, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills. As dean, it is very satisfying for me to see our alums using those skills in fulfilling and meaningful--if non-traditional--ways.